Sean Hannity once pointed a gun at Juan Williams: report

Hannity allegedly turned on the weapon's laser sight, causing a red dot to appear on Williams' body, according to the network, which said it confirmed the October incident between Hannity and Williams, who is also a contributor to The Hill, with three sources.

The sources told the outlet that the off-camera incident disturbed Williams and others present, though Hannity was merely showing off, according to the report.

"This incident is being sensationalized," Williams said in a statement reported by the network.

"Everything was under total control throughout and I never felt like I was put in harm's way. It was clear that Sean put my safety and security above all else and we continue to be great friends," he added.

Hannity's colleagues brought the incident to the attention of Fox News executives, CNN reported, although it remains unclear if anything happened afterwards.

Sources told the outlet that the event was reported to Bill Shine, Fox News's co-president and a longtime executive there. Shine is a longtime friend of Hannity's and once served as a producer on his television show, CNN noted.

"Sean Hannity has been trained in firearm safety since he was 11 years old and has a license to carry a gun in five states, including New York," Fox News said in a statement Thursday.

"The situation was thoroughly investigated and it was found that no one was put in any danger," a network spokesperson added, noting the incident was referred to the company's legal and human resources department.

Hannity also acknowledged the incident in a statement Thursday to CNN.

"While discussing the issue of firearms, I showed my good friend Juan Williams my unloaded firearm in a professional and safe manner for educational purposes only," Hannity said.

"Every precautionary procedure that I have been trained in since the age of 11 was followed. I've had a conceal carry permit in five states for all of my adult life. Any other interpretation of this is outright false reporting."

Fox News host Sean Hannity once aimed a gun at political analyst Juan Williams following an on-air debate, CNN reported on Thursday night.

According to CNN, who cited three unnamed sources, Hannity allegedly turned on the weapon's laser sight "causing a red dot to bob around on Williams' body." The sources said that the off-camera incident in October "clearly disturbed" Williams and others present, though they added Hannity "was showing off," the CNN report adds.

Williams, who serves as an analyst for Fox News, downplayed the incident in a statement on Twitter.

"This incident is being sensationalized – everything was under total control throughout and I never felt like I was put in harm’s way," Williams said. "It was clear that Sean put my safety and security above all else and we continue to be great friends."

Hannity's colleagues reportedly brought the gun incident to the attention of Fox News executives, CNN reported, though it remains unclear "whether anything came of it." The sources also claim it went to longtime executive and Fox News co-president Bill Shine, a friend of Hannity and a former show producer.

"Sean Hannity has been trained in firearm safety since he was 11 years old and has a license to carry a gun in five states, including New York," Fox News told CNN in a statement. "The situation was thoroughly investigated and it was found that no one was put in any danger," the Fox News spokesperson added, saying the incident was referred to the network's legal and human resources departments.

The Fox News spokesperson also provided a statement from Hannity, CNN reported.

"While discussing the issue of firearms, I showed my good friend Juan Williams my unloaded firearm in a professional and safe manner for educational purposes only," the statement read. "Every precautionary procedure that I have been trained in since the age of 11 was followed. I've had a conceal carry permit in five states for all of my adult life. Any other interpretation of this is outright false reporting."

Hannity took to Twitter late Thursday night to deny the report.

"Never pointed at anybody. Let's be clear. Unloaded. Never pointed. I have been a gun safety advocate for years," Hannity said on Twitter.

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